She Walked Two Hours for a Bucket of Dirty Water

Maria is a widow raising her daughter and four grandchildren in Chiapas, Mexico. She said her greatest struggle has been finding enough water for them to survive.   

During dry season, when their nearby source of water dries up, she and all of the children walked up to two hours to collect water from another community.  

“Without a car, we had to rely on what we could carry,” her daughter, Eloria told us.  “Sometimes we’d bring water that was dirty, cloudy, or even muddy!” 

The water is never clean—and because it sits in an open pit, it is often contaminated and filled with debris. 

“My children cry when there’s no water because it’s not enough to drink or bathe,” Maria said, sadly.  “On hot days, we couldn’t even cool off with a refreshing bath, we also couldn’t prepare Pozol (a typical drink) or even wash our clothes.” 

The family’s small storage tank was often insufficient, even during the rainy season, leaving the family to rely on water that was extremely contaminated. 

“One time, after a long journey, we found the water was mixed with sewage, but we still used it to wash clothes,” Eloria said.  

The physical toll was significant, as Maria developed swelling in her feet and knee pain from the arduous trips. Emotional distress also weighed heavily on her. 

“I feel so much sadness and frustration because I don’t have water in my house or my kitchen,” she said, defeated.   

That changed when Operation Blessing installed water harvesting systems in Maria’s community.  Each system collects rainwater, then directs it into a storage tank where it is chlorinated and made ready for drinking, bathing, and cooking.  All 12 families in the community received a water harvesting system.  

“Now I don’t worry about fetching water or having enough to drink, bathe, or cook.  The kids are so happy because they can drink water whenever they want,” Maria told us, joyfully.   

“I believe God touched the hearts of the people who helped us,” Eloria remarked.   

“THANK YOU!” both women told us!    

Partnering with CBN means more than just giving—you’re helping feed and clothe families, providing medical aid to those without access to hospitals and doctors, and helping provide clean water for the thirsty. Your faithful giving brings hope to the hopeless and the truth of God’s Word to millions of homes through The 700 Club! Help bring the love of Christ to the world when you become a CBN partner today!